Sports world offers many options

Q My 18-year-old sister is never going to qualify for pro baseball but she's a rabid fan and won't consider looking in other places for her career. She starts community college this year, and as her older brother, I keep telling her she better get her stuff together and make some decisions. Suggestions? — J.J.S.

A Your scoreboard shows a big win on this favorite topic, according to a new CareerCast.com report that says you can own a career in sports even if you can't play your way out of a paper sack.

Whether you're in the spotlight as a broadcaster or coach, or work out of sight as a sports statistician or event coordinator (World Series or Super Bowl, etc.), you've got a playing field, explains Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com. Here is Lee's roster of the 10 best career options in sports if you aren't a professional athlete, with average annual salaries:

Q Saw your recent comments about résumés, but did you hear about the one by Paris Web product manager Philippe Dubost (phildub.com)? He built a webpage that's a knock-off of an Amazon.com product page, selling himself as the product. — V.K.

A Thanks. Dubost's off-the-beaten-path notice of his availability is clever, and it will be for the first dozen or so imitators who duplicate his novelty.

Q Which do you think is more useful in finding new employment — networking or applying for jobs? — L.J.D.

A I've always believed in doing both. And now there's a new website making a big splash that does just that: CareerSonar. This site makes it easy to search for job listings at companies where you already have connections. So instead of finding job listings and then going to LinkedIn to see whom you know, your connections are all on CareerSonar, and you can message them through the system. The site is free for job seekers.

Another new website, Dice's Open Web (dice.com/openweb), comes at the social job connection effort from the recruiters' angle to find and hire technology professionals. This service works by compiling a social dossier from millions of job candidates using information they've posted on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, geek-oriented networks like Stack Overflow and dozens more. It gathers information that includes not only data but also links and personal email addresses for potential hires.

Q My 15-year-old son and I are beginning to develop his career map for the future. What are some jobs in fast-growing industries? —T.S.

A Among projections and reports from two sources:

•Generic pharmaceutical manufacturing, solar panel manufacturing, green building construction, social network game development, 3-D printer manufacturing and yoga instruction. Find details of these projections and more from market research firm IBISWorld (ibisworld.com — click on Media Centre and look around for free reports), or browse for “Exciting Jobs in the Fastest-Growing Industries.”

•Graphene, robotics, energy storage and polymer electronics are some of the most significant technological pushes throughout the world. Score details by searching for “Seven Themes for the Coming Decade,” from James Lee's blog, The World Future Society.

Q I was contacted with another job offer with higher pay yesterday. What's the best way to get my employer to match it? — I.P.

A Unless you're genuinely prepared to accept the external offer, using it as a bargaining chip to force your current employer to part with more money could backfire. Your employer may wave adios. If you choose to gamble, always introduce the topic by stating how much you like your job, offer a list of your accomplishments, and emphasize your preference to work something out where you are. Even if your boss agrees to a pay bump, you might find yourself in the first wave of layoffs if times get tough for your company. On the other hand, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Email career questions for possible use in this column to Joyce Lain Kennedy at jlk@sunfeatures.com; use “Reader Question” for subject line. Or mail her at Box 368, Cardiff, CA 92007.